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Capturing a wealth of experience about the design of object-oriented software, four top-notch designers present a catalog of simple and succinct solutions to commonly occurring design problems. Previously undocumented, these 23 patterns allow designers to create more flexible, elegant, and ultimately reusable designs without having to rediscover the design solutions themselves.

The authors begin by describing what patterns are and how they can help you design object-oriented software. They then go on to systematically name, explain, evaluate, and catalog recurring designs in object-oriented systems. With Design Patterns as your guide, you will learn how these important patterns fit into the software development process, and how you can leverage them to solve your own design problems most efficiently.

Each pattern describes the circumstances in which it is applicable, when it can be applied in view of other design constraints, and the consequences and trade-offs of using the pattern within a larger design. All patterns are compiled from real systems and are based on real-world examples. Each pattern also includes code that demonstrates how it may be implemented in object-oriented programming languages like C++ or Smalltalk.

From the inventor of the PalmPilot comes a new and compelling theory of intelligence, brain function, and the future of intelligent machines

Jeff Hawkins, the man who created the PalmPilot, Treo smart phone, and other handheld devices, has reshaped our relationship to computers. Now he stands ready to revolutionize both neuroscience and computing in one stroke, with a new understanding of intelligence itself.

Hawkins develops a powerful theory of how the human brain works, explaining why computers are not intelligent and how, based on this new theory, we can finally build intelligent machines.

The brain is not a computer, but a memory system that stores experiences in a way that reflects the true structure of the world, remembering sequences of events and their nested relationships and making predictions based on those memories. It is this memory-prediction system that forms the basis of intelligence, perception, creativity, and even consciousness.

In an engaging style that will captivate audiences from the merely curious to the professional scientist, Hawkins shows how a clear understanding of how the brain works will make it possible for us to build intelligent machines, in silicon, that will exceed our human ability in surprising ways.

Written with acclaimed science writer Sandra Blakeslee, On Intelligence promises to completely transfigure the possibilities of the technology age. It is a landmark book in its scope and clarity.

This book thoroughly explains how computers work. It starts by fully examining a NAND gate, then goes on to build every piece and part of a small, fully operational computer. The necessity and use of codes is presented in parallel with the apprioriate pieces of hardware. The book can be easily understood by anyone whether they have a technical background or not. It could be used as a textbook.

The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. Other animals have stronger muscles or sharper claws, but we have cleverer brains. If machine brains one day come to surpass human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become very powerful. As the fate of the gorillas now depends more on us humans than on the gorillas themselves, so the fate of our species then would come to depend on the actions of the machine superintelligence. But we have one advantage: we get to make the first move. Will it be possible to construct a seed AI or otherwise to engineer initial conditions so as to make an intelligence explosion survivable? How could one achieve a controlled detonation? To get closer to an answer to this question, we must make our way through a fascinating landscape of topics and considerations. Read the book and learn about oracles, genies, singletons; about boxing methods, tripwires, and mind crime; about humanity's cosmic endowment and differential technological development; indirect normativity, instrumental convergence, whole brain emulation and technology couplings; Malthusian economics and dystopian evolution; artificial intelligence, and biological cognitive enhancement, and collective intelligence. This profoundly ambitious and original book picks its way carefully through a vast tract of forbiddingly difficult intellectual terrain. Yet the writing is so lucid that it somehow makes it all seem easy. After an utterly engrossing journey that takes us to the frontiers of thinking about the human condition and the future of intelligent life, we find in Nick Bostrom's work nothing less than a reconceptualization of the essential task of our time.

The need to handle increasingly larger data volumes is one factor driving the adoption of a new class of nonrelational “NoSQL” databases. Advocates of NoSQL databases claim they can be used to build systems that are more performant, scale better, and are easier to program.

NoSQL Distilled is a concise but thorough introduction to this rapidly emerging technology. Pramod J. Sadalage and Martin Fowler explain how NoSQL databases work and the ways that they may be a superior alternative to a traditional RDBMS. The authors provide a fast-paced guide to the concepts you need to know in order to evaluate whether NoSQL databases are right for your needs and, if so, which technologies you should explore further.

The first part of the book concentrates on core concepts, including schemaless data models, aggregates, new distribution models, the CAP theorem, and map-reduce. In the second part, the authors explore architectural and design issues associated with implementing NoSQL. They also present realistic use cases that demonstrate NoSQL databases at work and feature representative examples using Riak, MongoDB, Cassandra, and Neo4j.

In addition, by drawing on Pramod Sadalage’s pioneering work, NoSQL Distilled shows how to implement evolutionary design with schema migration: an essential technique for applying NoSQL databases. The book concludes by describing how NoSQL is ushering in a new age of Polyglot Persistence, where multiple data-storage worlds coexist, and architects can choose the technology best optimized for each type of data access.

Presentation designer and internationally acclaimed communications expert Garr Reynolds, creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the Net — presentationzen.com — shares his experience in a provocative mix of illumination, inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations with PowerPoint or Keynote. Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making "slide presentations" in today’s world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Garr shares lessons and perspectives that draw upon practical advice from the fields of communication and business. Combining solid principles of design with the tenets of Zen simplicity, this book will help you along the path to simpler, more effective presentations.

Elon Musk named Our Final Invention one of 5 books everyone should read about the future

A Huffington Post Definitive Tech Book of 2013

Artificial Intelligence helps choose what books you buy, what movies you see, and even who you date. It puts the "smart" in your smartphone and soon it will drive your car. It makes most of the trades on Wall Street, and controls vital energy, water, and transportation infrastructure. But Artificial Intelligence can also threaten our existence.

In as little as a decade, AI could match and then surpass human intelligence. Corporations and government agencies are pouring billions into achieving AI's Holy Grail—human-level intelligence. Once AI has attained it, scientists argue, it will have survival drives much like our own. We may be forced to compete with a rival more cunning, more powerful, and more alien than we can imagine. Through profiles of tech visionaries, industry watchdogs, and groundbreaking AI systems, Our Final Invention explores the perils of the heedless pursuit of advanced AI. Until now, human intelligence has had no rival. Can we coexist with beings whose intelligence dwarfs our own? And will they allow us to?

Good game design happens when you view your game from as many perspectives as possible. Written by one of the world's top game designers, The Art of Game Design presents 100+ sets of questions, or different lenses, for viewing a game’s design, encompassing diverse fields such as psychology, architecture, music, visual design, film, software engineering, theme park design, mathematics, puzzle design, and anthropology. This Second Edition of a Game Developer Front Line Award winner: Describes the deepest and most fundamental principles of game design Demonstrates how tactics used in board, card, and athletic games also work in top-quality video games Contains valuable insight from Jesse Schell, the former chair of the International Game Developers Association and award-winning designer of Disney online games

The Art of Game Design, Second Edition gives readers useful perspectives on how to make better game designs faster. It provides practical instruction on creating world-class games that will be played again and again.

Finally, a Photoshop book that is written expressly for professional photographers and hi-end serious amateurs that doesn't talk about F-stops, exposures, and how to frame a shot (you know all that stuff already--if you don't¿I hate to say it, but this isn't for you).

This new book, from Photoshop User magazine editor and bestselling author Scott Kelby, starts at the moment your digital camera photos come into Photoshop, and he shows you the Photoshop pros techniques for managing, correcting, retouching and outputting your photos to knock your client's socks off, and turn you into a Photoshop production wizard. This book is absolutely ideal for traditional photographers who are making the jump to digital photography, and Scott's casual, step-by-step, plain-English style makes even the most complex Photoshop techniques seem so easy and accessible. It's the type of book that makes you smile and think "Ahhhh, so that's how they do it" and then immediately you realize "Hey, I can do this!"

The entire book is graphically rich, in full color cover-to-cover, and best of all it's packed with real-world project-based tutorials that will take you through the process of sizing your images with the proper resolution (and the secret to doing so without losing image quality), how to deal with High ISO noise, blue channel noise, and other common plagues introduced by digital cameras; you'll learn how the pros color correct their photos for output on everything from inkjet printers to printing presses, and the secrets to getting perfect fleshtones no matter where it¿s output. You'll learn the sharpening techniques today's top digital photographers use, and how the leading retoucher's perform "digital plastic surgery" in Photoshop, plus professional facial retouching techniques using Photoshop 7.0's amazing new tools.

Plus, you'll also learn how to manage your photos, "digital dodging and burning" tricks, dealing with common problems, making client presentations within Photoshop and on the Web, and the inside tips on how to work faster and more efficiently than you ever thought possible. If you're serious about digital photography and Photoshop, this is book you've been waiting for.

The fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Photoshop CC

Classroom in a Book®, the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, offers what no other book or training program does—an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.

Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book contains 14 lessons that cover the basics, providing countless tips and techniques to help you become more productive with the program. You can follow the book from start to finish or choose only those lessons that interest you.

Purchasing this book gives you access to the downloadable lesson files you need to work through the projects in the book, and to electronic book updates covering new features that Adobe releases for Creative Cloud customers. For access, goto www.peachpit.com/redeem and redeem the unique code provided inside this book.

“The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students.”

Want to tap the power behind search rankings, product recommendations, social bookmarking, and online matchmaking? This fascinating book demonstrates how you can build Web 2.0 applications to mine the enormous amount of data created by people on the Internet. With the sophisticated algorithms in this book, you can write smart programs to access interesting datasets from other web sites, collect data from users of your own applications, and analyze and understand the data once you've found it.

Programming Collective Intelligence takes you into the world of machine learning and statistics, and explains how to draw conclusions about user experience, marketing, personal tastes, and human behavior in general -- all from information that you and others collect every day. Each algorithm is described clearly and concisely with code that can immediately be used on your web site, blog, Wiki, or specialized application. This book explains:Collaborative filtering techniques that enable online retailers to recommend products or mediaMethods of clustering to detect groups of similar items in a large datasetSearch engine features -- crawlers, indexers, query engines, and the PageRank algorithmOptimization algorithms that search millions of possible solutions to a problem and choose the best oneBayesian filtering, used in spam filters for classifying documents based on word types and other featuresUsing decision trees not only to make predictions, but to model the way decisions are madePredicting numerical values rather than classifications to build price modelsSupport vector machines to match people in online dating sitesNon-negative matrix factorization to find the independent features in a datasetEvolving intelligence for problem solving -- how a computer develops its skill by improving its own code the more it plays a gameEach chapter includes exercises for extending the algorithms to make them more powerful. Go beyond simple database-backed applications and put the wealth of Internet data to work for you.

"Bravo! I cannot think of a better way for a developer to first learn these algorithms and methods, nor can I think of a better way for me (an old AI dog) to reinvigorate my knowledge of the details."-- Dan Russell, Google

"Toby's book does a great job of breaking down the complex subject matter of machine-learning algorithms into practical, easy-to-understand examples that can be directly applied to analysis of social interaction across the Web today. If I had this book two years ago, it would have saved precious time going down some fruitless paths."-- Tim Wolters, CTO, Collective Intellect

Are you ready for an amazing new version of The Photoshop Book that breaks all the rules?

Scott Kelby, Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine—and the best-selling Photoshop author in the world today—once again takes this book to a whole new level as he uncovers more of the latest, most important, and most useful new Adobe Photoshop CS5 techniques for digital photographers.

This major update to his award-winning, record-breaking book does something for digital photographers that’s never been done before—it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly “how to do it.” It’s not a bunch of theory; it doesn’t challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own. Instead, Scott shows you step by step the exact techniques used by today’s cutting-edge digital photographers, and best of all, he shows you flat-out exactly which settings to use, when to use them, and why. That’s why the previous editions of this book are widely used as the official study guide in photography courses at colleges and universities around the world.

Learn how the pros do it Each year, Scott trains thousands of professional photographers how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions, the same problems, and the same challenges—and that’s exactly what he covers in this book. You’ll learn: The sharpening techniques the pros really use. The pros’ tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast! The step-by-step setup for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you see onscreen. A whole chapter on how to process HDR (High Dynamic Range) images using CS5’s new Merge to HDR Pro. How to master CS5’s new Content-Aware Fill. How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat. How to process RAW images like a pro (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features in CS5!). How to use the included gray card to make color correction just a matter of three clicks. How to show your work like a pro! A host of shortcuts, workarounds, and slick “insider” tricks to send your productivity through the roof! Plus, Scott includes a special bonus chapter with his own CS5 workflow, from start to finish, and each chapter ends with a Photoshop Killer Tips section, packed with time-saving, job-saving tips that make all the difference. If you’re a digital photographer, and if you’re ready to learn all the “tricks of the trade”—the same ones that today’s leading pros use to correct, edit, sharpen, retouch, and present their work—then you’re holding the book that will do just that.

Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Photoshop CS5 choose Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book from the Adobe Creative Team at Adobe Press. The 14 project-based lessons in this book show readers step-by-step the key techniques for working in Photoshop CS5.

In addition to learning the key elements of the Photoshop interface, this completely revised CS5 edition shows readers how to edit images with precise selection control, correct a wide range of lens-based errors, interactively transform their images with the new Puppet Warp tool, and easily remove or replace image elements with the new Content-Aware Fill mode. The book also covers new powerful painting effects to artistically enhance images and shows how to combine multiple exposures into a single HDR image.

For the first time, the companion DVD will feature, in addition to the lesson files, 2 hours of free video tutorials from Learn Adobe Photoshop CS5 by Video by Adobe Press and video2brain, a great added value!

“The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students.” –Barbara Binder, Adobe Certified Instructor, Rocky Mountain Training.

Classroom in a Book®, the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, helps you learn the features of Adobe software quickly and easily. Classroom in a Book offers what no other book or training program does–an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.

All of Peachpit's eBooks contain the same content as the print edition. You will find a link in the last few pages of your eBook that directs you to the media files.

Helpful tips:

If you are able to search the book, search for "Where are the lesson files?" Go to the very last page of the book and scroll backwards. You will need a web-enabled device or computer in order to access the media files that accompany this ebook. Entering the URL supplied into a computer with web access will allow you to get to the files. Depending on your device, it is possible that your display settings will cut off part of the URL. To make sure this is not the case, try reducing your font size and turning your device to a landscape view. This should cause the full URL to appear.

THE BRAND GAP is the first book to present a unified theory of brand-building. Whereas most books on branding are weighted toward either a strategic or creative approach, this book shows how both ways of thinking can unite to produce a “charismatic brand”—a brand that customers feel is essential to their lives. In an entertaining two-hour read you’ll learn:

• the new definition of brand• the five essential disciplines of brand-building• how branding is changing the dynamics of competition• the three most powerful questions to ask about any brand• why collaboration is the key to brand-building• how design determines a customer’s experience• how to test brand concepts quickly and cheaply• the importance of managing brands from the inside• 220-word brand glossary

From the back cover:Not since McLuhan’s THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE has a book compressed so many ideas into so few pages. Using the visual language of the boardroom, Neumeier presents the first unified theory of branding—a set of five disciplines to help companies bridge the gap between brand strategy and customer experience. Those with a grasp of branding will be inspired by the new perspectives they find here, and those who would like to understand it better will suddenly “get it.” This deceptively simple book offers everyone in the company access to “the most powerful business tool since the spreadsheet.”

This Web Edition is available for free with the purchase of the Adobe Illustrator CC Classroom in a Book (2015 release) print book or eBook. A Web Edition is an electronic version of the book that can be accessed with any Internet connection from your account on www.peachpit.com. This Web Edition includes over 10 hours of step-by-step video tutorials and interactive review questions. As Adobe releases new features for Creative Cloud customers, the content of the Web Edition will be updated to accommodate the changes. Note: Web Editions cannot be viewed on an eReader. To view this book on an eReader, please purchase an eBook.

Creative professionals who seek the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Illustrator CC (2015 release) choose this Classroom in a Book® from the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks. This series offers what no other book or training program does—an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.

Adobe Illustrator CC Classroom in a Book (2015 release) contains 15 lessons that cover the basics and beyond, providing countless tips and techniques to help you become more productive with the program. You can follow the book from start to finish or choose only those lessons that interest you. As with all Classroom in a Book products, online companion files include all the necessary assets you need to complete the projects featured in each lesson.

Build a strong foundation for working with Adobe Illustrator CC, by following hands-on projects for creating logos, illustrations, and posters. Learn how to use the Shaper tool and Live Shapes along with dynamic symbols to streamline graphics creation. Create website assets and export them in SVG format to support modern responsive web designs. From exacting illustration to more free-form painting, you’ll gain vital Illustrator skills as you progress through the lessons.

What you need to use this book: Adobe Illustrator CC (2015 release) software, for either Windows or Mac OS. (Software not included.)

An Introduction to Statistical Learning provides an accessible overview of the field of statistical learning, an essential toolset for making sense of the vast and complex data sets that have emerged in fields ranging from biology to finance to marketing to astrophysics in the past twenty years. This book presents some of the most important modeling and prediction techniques, along with relevant applications. Topics include linear regression, classification, resampling methods, shrinkage approaches, tree-based methods, support vector machines, clustering, and more. Color graphics and real-world examples are used to illustrate the methods presented. Since the goal of this textbook is to facilitate the use of these statistical learning techniques by practitioners in science, industry, and other fields, each chapter contains a tutorial on implementing the analyses and methods presented in R, an extremely popular open source statistical software platform.

Two of the authors co-wrote The Elements of Statistical Learning (Hastie, Tibshirani and Friedman, 2nd edition 2009), a popular reference book for statistics and machine learning researchers. An Introduction to Statistical Learning covers many of the same topics, but at a level accessible to a much broader audience. This book is targeted at statisticians and non-statisticians alike who wish to use cutting-edge statistical learning techniques to analyze their data. The text assumes only a previous course in linear regression and no knowledge of matrix algebra.

The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. Other animals have stronger muscles or sharper claws, but we have cleverer brains. If machine brains one day come to surpass human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become very powerful. As the fate of the gorillas now depends more on us humans than on the gorillas themselves, so the fate of our species then would come to depend on the actions of the machine superintelligence. But we have one advantage: we get to make the first move. Will it be possible to construct a seed AI or otherwise to engineer initial conditions so as to make an intelligence explosion survivable? How could one achieve a controlled detonation? To get closer to an answer to this question, we must make our way through a fascinating landscape of topics and considerations. Read the book and learn about oracles, genies, singletons; about boxing methods, tripwires, and mind crime; about humanity's cosmic endowment and differential technological development; indirect normativity, instrumental convergence, whole brain emulation and technology couplings; Malthusian economics and dystopian evolution; artificial intelligence, and biological cognitive enhancement, and collective intelligence. This profoundly ambitious and original book picks its way carefully through a vast tract of forbiddingly difficult intellectual terrain. Yet the writing is so lucid that it somehow makes it all seem easy. After an utterly engrossing journey that takes us to the frontiers of thinking about the human condition and the future of intelligent life, we find in Nick Bostrom's work nothing less than a reconceptualization of the essential task of our time.

"Wonderfully erudite, humorous, and easy to read." --KDNuggetsIn the world's top research labs and universities, the race is on to invent the ultimate learning algorithm: one capable of discovering any knowledge from data, and doing anything we want, before we even ask. In The Master Algorithm, Pedro Domingos lifts the veil to give us a peek inside the learning machines that power Google, Amazon, and your smartphone. He assembles a blueprint for the future universal learner-the Master Algorithm-and discusses what it will mean for business, science, and society. If data-ism is today's philosophy, this book is its bible.

The free, open-source Processing programming language environment was created at MIT for people who want to develop images, animation, and sound. Based on the ubiquitous Java, it provides an alternative to daunting languages and expensive proprietary software.

This book gives graphic designers, artists and illustrators of all stripes a jump start to working with processing by providing detailed information on the basic principles of programming with the language, followed by careful, step-by-step explanations of select advanced techniques.

The author teaches computer graphics at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and his book has been developed with a supportive learning experience at its core. From algorithms and data mining to rendering and debugging, it teaches object-oriented programming from the ground up within the fascinating context of interactive visual media.

Previously announced as "Pixels, Patterns, and Processing"

*A guided journey from the very basics of computer programming through to creating custom interactive 3D graphics*Step-by-step examples, approachable language, exercises, and LOTS of sample code support the reader's learning curve*Includes lessons on how to program live video, animated images and interactive sound

The fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe® Illustrator® (2014 release)

Classroom in a Book, the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, offers what no other book or training program does—an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.

Adobe Illustrator Classroom in a Book contains lessons that cover the basics, providing countless tips and techniques to help you become more productive with the program. You can follow the book from start to finish or choose only those lessons that interest you.

In addition to teaching the key elements of the Illustrator interface, this completely revised edition covers the new Live rectangle and rounded rectangle functionality, preview a path as you draw with the Pen tool, new workflow for dealing with missing Typekit fonts, anchor point enhancements like repositioning the closing anchor point as you draw, and much more.

Purchasing this book gives you access to the downloadable lesson files you need to work through the projects in the book, and to electronic book updates covering new features that Adobe releases for Creative Cloud customers. For access, goto www.peachpit.com/redeem and redeem the unique code provided inside this book.

“The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students.”

This update is so important, because if there was ever a version of Photoshop that was aimed at digital photographers, Photoshop CS is it, and "The Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers" by Scott Kelby (Editor of Photoshop User magazine) once again breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that's never been done before--it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own. Instead, it shows you step by step the exact techniques used by today's cutting-edge digital photographers and retouchers, and it does something that virtually no other Photoshop book has ever done -- it tells you, flat-out, which settings to use, when to use them, and why.

If you're looking for one of those "tell-me-everything-about-the-Unsharp-Mask-filter" books, this isn't it. You can grab any other Photoshop book on the shelf, because they all do that. Instead, this book gives you the inside tips and tricks of the trade that today's leading pros use to correct, edit, sharpen, retouch, and present their photos to some of the most demanding clients on the planet. You'll be absolutely amazed at how easy and effective they are--once you know the secrets.

LEARN HOW THE PROS DO IT Each year Scott trains thousands of professional photographers how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions and the same problems -- that's exactly what Scott covers in this book. You'll learn: The secrets of how the pros retouch portraits How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat (you'll be amazed at how they do it!) How to unlock the power of Photoshop CS' new features for digital photo pros Amazing digital body-sculpting techniques How the pros use CS' File Browser (it's much more powerful than you think) Tricks that can send your productivity through the roof The sharpening techniques the pros really use (there's an entire chapter just on this!) How to deal with common digital camera image problems Removing noise, avoiding halos, and protecting your images How to use Match Color, The Color Replacement Tool, and other amazing CS tools. Masking techniques for photographers The most-requested photographic special effects and much more! Photoshop CS is THE tool for digital photographers, and this book show you exactly how to put it's power to work for you today.

Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Illustrator CS6 choose Adobe Illustrator CS6 Classroom in a Book from the Adobe Creative Team at Adobe Press. The 15 project-based lessons in this book show readers step-by-step the key techniques for working in Illustrator CS6 and how to create vector artwork for virtually any project and across multiple media: print, websites, interactive projects, and video.

In addition to learning the key elements of the Illustrator interface, this completely revised CS6 edition covers the new tracing engine with improved shape and color recognition, a new pattern toolset with on-artboard controls and one-click tiling, a completely overhauled performance engine and modernized user interface for working more efficiently and intuitively, and more.

**Breaking News! In August 2012 Adobe released an update to Illustrator offering new features for Creative Cloud customers: Package files, Unembed images and Links panel enhancements. Register your book at peachpit.com/register to receive a free update that covers these features.

“The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students.” –Barbara Binder, Adobe Certified Instructor, Rocky Mountain Training

Classroom in a Book®, the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, helps you learn the features of Adobe software quickly and easily. Classroom in a Book offers what no other book or training program does–an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.

Now you can clearly present even the most complex computational theory topics to your students with Sipser's distinct, market-leading INTRODUCTION TO THE THEORY OF COMPUTATION, 3E. The number one choice for today's computational theory course, this highly anticipated revision retains the unmatched clarity and thorough coverage that make it a leading text for upper-level undergraduate and introductory graduate students. This edition continues author Michael Sipser's well-known, approachable style with timely revisions, additional exercises, and more memorable examples in key areas. A new first-of-its-kind theoretical treatment of deterministic context-free languages is ideal for a better understanding of parsing and LR(k) grammars. This edition's refined presentation ensures a trusted accuracy and clarity that make the challenging study of computational theory accessible and intuitive to students while maintaining the subject's rigor and formalism. Readers gain a solid understanding of the fundamental mathematical properties of computer hardware, software, and applications with a blend of practical and philosophical coverage and mathematical treatments, including advanced theorems and proofs. INTRODUCTION TO THE THEORY OF COMPUTATION, 3E's comprehensive coverage makes this an ideal ongoing reference tool for those studying theoretical computing.Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

Need answers quickly? Adobe Photoshop CS5 on Demand provides those answers in a visual step-by-step format. We will show you exactly what to do through lots of full color illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions.

ARE YOU READY FOR AN AMAZING NEW VERSION OF THE PHOTOSHOP BOOK THAT BREAKS ALL THE RULES?Scott Kelby, the best-selling Photoshop author in the world today, once again takes this book to a whole new level as he uncovers the latest, most important, and most exciting new Adobe Photoshop CS4 techniques for digital photographers. This major update to his award-winning, record-breaking book does something for digital photographers that’s never been done before–it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly “how to do it.” It’s not a bunch of theory; it doesn’t challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own. Instead, Scott shows you step-by-step the exact techniques used by today’s cutting-edge digital photographers, and best of all, he shows you flat-out exactly which settings to use, when to use them, and why. That’s why the previous editions of this book are widely used as the official study guide in photography courses at colleges and universities around the world.

LEARN HOW THE PROS DO ITEach year Scott trains thousands of professional photographers how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions, the same problems, and the same challenges–and that’s exactly what he covers in this book. You’ll learn:

• The sharpening techniques the pros really use.• The pros’ tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast!• The step-by-step setup for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you see onscreen.• A whole chapter on how to process HDR (High Dynamic Range) images.• How to master new CS4 interface and workflow features.• How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat.• How to process RAW digital camera images (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features in CS4!).• How to add real automation to your work.• How to show your work like a pro!• A host of shortcuts, workarounds, and slick “insider” tricks to send your productivity through the roof!

Plus, Scott included a special bonus chapter with his own CS4 workflow, from start to finish. If you’re a digital photographer, and you’re ready to learn the “tricks of the trade”–the same ones that today’s leading pros use to correct, edit, sharpen, retouch, and present their work–then you’re holding the book that will do just that.

Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Photoshop choose Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book (2015 release) from Adobe Press. The 14 project-based lessons in this book show users step-by-step the key techniques for working in Photoshop and how to manipulate images, edit motion-based content, and create image composites.

In addition to learning the key elements of the Photoshop interface, this completely revised CC (2015 release) edition covers automatically repairing empty areas of a merged panorama using Content-Aware Fill, making the noise level of a Blur Gallery effect consistent with an image, and adding specialized type characters more easily in the new Glyphs Panel. Learn to easily reuse design assets and share them with your team using Creative Cloud libraries with Linked Smart Objects, and instantly modify duplicated content using the enhanced Content Aware Move tool. Design screens more efficiently for the range of display sizes across desktop and mobile devices using multiple Artboards, test them on actual hardware using Device Preview, and generate output using the iteration-friendly Export Assets workflow.

The online companion files include all the necessary assets for readers to complete the projects featured in each chapter as well as ebook updates when Adobe releases new features for Creative Cloud customers. And new to this release, all buyers of the book get full access to the Web Edition: a Web-based version of the complete ebook enhanced with video and interactive multiple-choice quizzes. As always with the Classroom in a Book, Instructor Notes are available for teachers to download.

With HTML5 and improved web browser support, JavaScript has become the tool of choice for creating high-performance web graphics. This faced-paced book shows you how to use JavaScript, jQuery, DHTML, and HTML5's Canvas element to create rich web applications for computers and mobile devices.

By following real-world examples, experienced web developers learn fun and useful approaches to arcade games, DHTML effects, business dashboards, and other applications. This book serves complex subjects in easily digestible pieces, and each topic acts as a foundation for the next.

This best-selling guide from authors Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas has been the go-to tutorial and reference book for photography/design professionals and the textbook of choice in college classrooms for decades. This edition includes their trademark features of clear, concise, step-by-step instructions; hundreds of full-color images; screen captures of program features; and supplemental tips and sidebars in every chapter.

Among the new CC features covered in this extensively updated guide are: Smart Sharpen, Adobe Camera Raw as filter, intelligent upscaling, multi-shape and path selection, and camera shake reduction. New and updated Photoshop CC features are clearly marked with bright red stars in both the table of contents and main text.

The classic reference, with over 25,000 copies in print, has been massively expanded and thoroughly updated to include state-of-the-art methods and 400+ all-new full color images!

"At ILM, compositing is one of the most important tools we use. If you want to learn more, this excellent 2nd-edition is detailed with hundreds of secrets that will help make your comps seamless. For beginners or experts, Ron walks you through the processes of analysis and workflows - linear thinking which will help you become deft and successfully tackle any shot." --Dennis Muren ASC, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic

"Ron Brinkman's book is the definitive work on digital compositing and we have depended on this book as a critical part of our in-house training program at Imageworks since the 1999 Edition. We use this book as a daily textbook and reference for our lighters, compositors and anyone working with digital imagery. It is wonderful to see a new edition being released and it will certainly be required reading for all our digital artists here at Imageworks." --Sande Scoredos, Executive Director of Training & Artist Development, Sony Pictures Imageworks

The Art and Science of Digital Compositing is the only complete overview of the technical and artistic nature of digital compositing. It covers a wide range of topics from basic image creation, representation and manipulation, to a look at the visual cues that are necessary to create a believable composite. Designed as an introduction to the field, as well as an authoritative technical reference, this book provides essential information for novices and professionals alike.

17 new case-studies provide in-depth looks at the compositing work done on films such as Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Golden Compass, The Incredibles, King Kong, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Sin City, Spider-Man 2, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith.Includes new sections on 3D compositing, High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging, Rotoscoping, and much more!All disc-based content for this title is now available on the Web.17 new case-studies provide in-depth looks at the compositing work done on films such as Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Golden Compass, The Incredibles, King Kong, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Sin City, Spider-Man 2, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith.Includes new sections on 3D compositing, High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging, Rotoscoping, and much more!

We’re talking about the award-winning, worldwide smash hit, written by Scott Kelby, that’s been translated into dozens of different languages, because it’s the one book that really shows you how to take professional-quality shots using the same tricks today’s top digital pros use.

Well, what if you took that book, created four more just like it but with even more tips, plucked out only the best tips from all five of THOSE books, updated the images, referenced all-new gear, and added a completely new chapter on how to make the transition from shooting photos with your phone to making photographs with your new DSLR?

In The Best of The Digital Photography Book, you’ll find all of Scott’s favorite tips and techniques curated and updated from The Digital Photography Book, Parts 1-5, along with a brand new chapter on transitioning from your phone to a full-fledged DSLR. You’ll find everything that made the first five titles a success: Scott answering questions, giving out advice, and sharing the secrets he’s learned just like he would with a friend–without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak. This book will help you shoot dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos every time.

As part of Packt's Beginner's Guide series, each chapter covers an aspect of working with Inkscape, with plenty of screenshots and practical examples. This book is intended for beginning graphic and web designers who want to expand their graphic software expertise. General familiarity with a graphics program is recommended, but not required.

This book offers students and AI programmers a new perspective on the study of artificial intelligence concepts. The essential topics and theory of AI are presented, but it also includes practical information on data input & reduction as well as data output (i.e., algorithm usage). Because traditional AI concepts such as pattern recognition, numerical optimization and data mining are now simply types of algorithms, a different approach is needed. This “sensor / algorithm / effecter” approach grounds the algorithms with an environment, helps students and AI practitioners to better understand them, and subsequently, how to apply them. The book has numerous up to date applications in game programming, intelligent agents, neural networks, artificial immune systems, and more. A CD-ROM with simulations, code, and figures accompanies the book.

Data Science gets thrown around in the press like it's magic. Major retailers are predicting everything from when their customers are pregnant to when they want a new pair of Chuck Taylors. It's a brave new world where seemingly meaningless data can be transformed into valuable insight to drive smart business decisions.

But how does one exactly do data science? Do you have to hire one of these priests of the dark arts, the "data scientist," to extract this gold from your data? Nope.

Data science is little more than using straight-forward steps to process raw data into actionable insight. And in Data Smart, author and data scientist John Foreman will show you how that's done within the familiar environment of a spreadsheet.

Why a spreadsheet? It's comfortable! You get to look at the data every step of the way, building confidence as you learn the tricks of the trade. Plus, spreadsheets are a vendor-neutral place to learn data science without the hype.

But don't let the Excel sheets fool you. This is a book for those serious about learning the analytic techniques, the math and the magic, behind big data.

Each chapter will cover a different technique in a spreadsheet so you can follow along:

You get your hands dirty as you work alongside John through each technique. But never fear, the topics are readily applicable and the author laces humor throughout. You'll even learn what a dead squirrel has to do with optimization modeling, which you no doubt are dying to know.

Designed to give you enough familiarity in a programming language to be immediately productive, Learning C# Programming with Unity 3D provides the basics of programming and brings you quickly up to speed. Organized into easy-to-follow lessons, the book covers how C# is used to make a game in Unity3D. After reading this book, you will be armed with the knowledge required to feel confident in learning more. You’ll have what it takes to at least look at code without your head spinning.

Writing a massive multiplayer online role-playing game is quite hard, of course, but learning how to write a simple behavior isn’t. Like drawing, you start off with the basics such as spheres and cubes. After plenty of practice, you’ll be able to create a real work of art. This applies to writing code—you start off with basic calculations, then move on to the logic that drives a complex game. By the end of this book, you will have the skills to be a capable programmer, or at least know what is involved with how to read and write code.

Although you could go online and find videos and tutorials, there is a distinct advantage when it comes to learning things in order and in one place. Most online tutorials for C# are scattered, disordered, and incohesive. It’s difficult to find a good starting point, and even more difficult to find a continuous list of tutorials to bring you to any clear understanding of the C# programming language. This book not only gives you a strong foundation, but puts you on the path to game development.

This book is an example-based guide that will help you create professional grade paintings using Sketchbook Pro. As you progress from one chapter to another, you will learn how to virtually draw visually stunning paintings that are digitally drawn but look exactly like orthodox artwork.If you have had prior experience in developing digital artwork and are looking to add to your knowledge, Sketchbook Pro Digital Painting Essentials is a guide that will help you seamlessly translate what you do with traditional media to digital media.

Get up to speed quickly with this compelling, full-color guide to Autodesk 3ds Max

With its real-world, hands-on exercises, Autodesk 3ds Max 2015 Essentials helps new users learn the fundamentals of Autodesk 3ds Max quickly become productive. The task-based tutorials add real-world context that help you become familiar with the workflow scenarios of a professional environment, and provide that extra level of understanding to make you more proficient overall with the software.

Updated for 3ds Max 2015 and recommended as a preparation resource for the 3ds Max certification exam, this guide teaches the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. You'll have fun creating a retro-style alarm clock, animating a thrown knife, modeling a chair, and more, all while you learn modeling, rigging, animating, rendering, architectural visualization, and other career-essential techniques. This colorful, engaging book features:

Learn all the crucial techniques you'll need from authors Randi and Dariush Derakhshani, Autodesk Certified Instructors with years of professional experience under their belts. Artists, students, educators, and hobbyists will benefit from the guide's techniques and tutorials, getting to know the program as a whole and gaining insight into which aspects of the 3D production pipeline are most appealing. Whether you're a beginner or migrating from another 3D application, Autodesk 3ds Max 2015 Essentials provides the solid foundation.

OpenGL® Shading Language, Third Edition, extensively updated for OpenGL 3.1, is the experienced application programmer’s guide to writing shaders. Part reference, part tutorial, this book thoroughly explains the shift from fixed-functionality graphics hardware to the new era of programmable graphics hardware and the additions to the OpenGL API that support this programmability. With OpenGL and shaders written in the OpenGL Shading Language, applications can perform better, achieving stunning graphics effects by using the capabilities of both the visual processing unit and the central processing unit.

In this book, you will find a detailed introduction to the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) and the new OpenGL function calls that support it. The text begins by describing the syntax and semantics of this high-level programming language. Once this foundation has been established, the book explores the creation and manipulation of shaders using new OpenGL function calls.

OpenGL® Shading Language, Third Edition, includes updated descriptions for the language and all the GLSL entry points added though OpenGL 3.1, as well as updated chapters that discuss transformations, lighting, shadows, and surface characteristics. The third edition also features shaders that have been updated to OpenGL Shading Language Version 1.40 and their underlying algorithms, including

If you want a basic understanding of computer vision’s underlying theory and algorithms, this hands-on introduction is the ideal place to start. You’ll learn techniques for object recognition, 3D reconstruction, stereo imaging, augmented reality, and other computer vision applications as you follow clear examples written in Python.

Programming Computer Vision with Python explains computer vision in broad terms that won’t bog you down in theory. You get complete code samples with explanations on how to reproduce and build upon each example, along with exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned. This book is ideal for students, researchers, and enthusiasts with basic programming and standard mathematical skills.

Learn techniques used in robot navigation, medical image analysis, and other computer vision applicationsWork with image mappings and transforms, such as texture warping and panorama creationCompute 3D reconstructions from several images of the same sceneOrganize images based on similarity or content, using clustering methodsBuild efficient image retrieval techniques to search for images based on visual contentUse algorithms to classify image content and recognize objectsAccess the popular OpenCV library through a Python interface

In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you’ll learn all the fundamental Photoshop CS4 skills you need to get great results—in digital photography, graphic design, painting, or anything else! Using this book’s easy, step-by-step approach, you’ll master Photoshop CS4’s revamped interface and powerful new shortcuts. You can also learn professional techniques for repairing damaged photos, creating great composites, black-and-white images, and web graphics, and a whole lot more!

Full-color figures and clear step-by-step instructions visually show you how to use Photoshop.

Q&A sections, quizzes, and exercises help you build and test your knowledge.

Learn how to…

Master Photoshop CS4’s new tabbed interface, Application Frame, and Application Bar Personalize your workspace to work more efficiently Repair and retouch black-and-white and color images, no matter what condition they’re in Make “spot fixes” with Photoshop CS4’s improved toning tools Achieve powerful artistry with Photoshop’s filters and effects Master digital painting with Photoshop’s paintbrushes and other tools Get your colors right, in both print and web applications Transform your images using tools ranging from Flip and Warp to Liquify Master professional-level features including layers, channels, and masks Create outstanding typographic special effects Prepare great web images for everything from online photo galleries to cellphones Save time and get better results with Photoshop CS4’s latest enhancements

Kate Binder is a design and graphics expert who works from her home in New Hampshire. She has written articles on graphics, publishing, and photography for magazines including Shutterbug, Publish, eDigitalPhoto, PEI, and Desktop Publishers Journal. Kate is also the author of several books, including iMac Portable Genius, Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 in 24 Hours, Easy Mac OS X Leopard, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Mac OS X, and Easy Adobe Photoshop 7.

A step by step beginner's tutorial to creating AAA style games with the complete game creation tool, CryENGINE 3, This book is written with the beginner and casual developer in mind. The freely available version of the CryENGINE(r) 3 is used for all examples in this boo

ARE YOU READY FOR AN AMAZING NEW VERSION OF THE PHOTOSHOP BOOK THAT BREAKS ALL THE RULES?

Scott Kelby, Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine–and the best-selling Photoshop author in the world today–once again takes this book to a whole new level as he uncovers more of the latest, most important, and most useful Adobe Photoshop CS6 techniques for digital photographers.

This major update to his award-winning, record-breaking book does something for digital photographers that’s never been done before–it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly “how to do it.” It’s not a bunch of theory; it doesn’t challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own. Instead, Scott shows you step by step the exact techniques used by today’s cutting-edge digital photographers, and best of all, he shows you flat-out exactly which settings to use, when to use them, and why. That’s why the previous editions of this book are widely used as the official study guides in photography courses at colleges and universities around the world.

LEARN HOW THE PROS DO IT

Each year, Scott trains thousands of professional photographers on how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions, the same problems, and the same challenges–and that’s exactly what he covers in this book. You’ll learn: The sharpening techniques the pros really use. The pros’ tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast! The step-by-step setup for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you see onscreen. How to process HDR (High Dynamic Range) images using CS6’s Merge to HDR Pro. How to master CS6’s Content-Aware features. How to use Photoshop CS6’s new video editing features to make movies from your DSLR videos. How to process RAW images like a pro (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features in CS6!). The latest Photoshop special effects for photographers (there’s a whole chapter just on these!). A host of shortcuts, workarounds, and slick “insider” tricks to send your productivity through the roof! Plus, Scott includes a special bonus chapter with his own CS6 workflow, from start to finish, and each chapter ends with a Photoshop Killer Tips section, packed with timesaving, job-saving tips that make all the difference. If you’re a digital photographer, and if you’re ready to learn all the “tricks of the trade”–the same ones that today’s leading pros use to correct, edit, sharpen, retouch, and present their work—then you’re holding the book that will do just that.

Note from the publisher:

August 9, 2012: All binding issues mentioned in our July 31, 2012 note below have been resolved. Thank you.

July 31, 2012: We have encountered issues with the binding in our initial print run of this book. If you have purchased a copy of the book you are not happy with, please return it to the store where you made your purchase to request a replacement copy right away. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

This book is a practical tutorial, packed with real-world case studies to help you design models that print right the first time. If you are familiar with SketchUp and want to print the models you've designed, then this book is ideal for you. You don't need any experience in 3D printing; however, SketchUp beginners will require a companion book or video training series to teach them the basic SketchUp skills.

This detailed, hands-on guide provides the technical and conceptual information you need to build cool applications with Microsoft’s Kinect, the amazing motion-sensing device that enables computers to see. Through half a dozen meaty projects, you’ll learn how to create gestural interfaces for software, use motion capture for easy 3D character animation, 3D scanning for custom fabrication, and many other applications.

Perfect for hobbyists, makers, artists, and gamers, Making Things See shows you how to build every project with inexpensive off-the-shelf components, including the open source Processing programming language and the Arduino microcontroller. You’ll learn basic skills that will enable you to pursue your own creative applications with Kinect.

Create Kinect applications on Mac OS X, Windows, or Linux Track people with pose detection and skeletonization, and use blob tracking to detect objects Analyze and manipulate point clouds Make models for design and fabrication, using 3D scanning technology Use MakerBot, RepRap, or Shapeways to print 3D objects Delve into motion tracking for animation and games Build a simple robot arm that can imitate your arm movements Discover how skilled artists have used Kinect to build fascinating projects

During the past decade there has been an explosion in computation and information technology. With it have come vast amounts of data in a variety of fields such as medicine, biology, finance, and marketing. The challenge of understanding these data has led to the development of new tools in the field of statistics, and spawned new areas such as data mining, machine learning, and bioinformatics. Many of these tools have common underpinnings but are often expressed with different terminology. This book describes the important ideas in these areas in a common conceptual framework. While the approach is statistical, the emphasis is on concepts rather than mathematics. Many examples are given, with a liberal use of color graphics. It is a valuable resource for statisticians and anyone interested in data mining in science or industry. The book's coverage is broad, from supervised learning (prediction) to unsupervised learning. The many topics include neural networks, support vector machines, classification trees and boosting---the first comprehensive treatment of this topic in any book.

This major new edition features many topics not covered in the original, including graphical models, random forests, ensemble methods, least angle regression & path algorithms for the lasso, non-negative matrix factorization, and spectral clustering. There is also a chapter on methods for ``wide'' data (p bigger than n), including multiple testing and false discovery rates.

Trevor Hastie, Robert Tibshirani, and Jerome Friedman are professors of statistics at Stanford University. They are prominent researchers in this area: Hastie and Tibshirani developed generalized additive models and wrote a popular book of that title. Hastie co-developed much of the statistical modeling software and environment in R/S-PLUS and invented principal curves and surfaces. Tibshirani proposed the lasso and is co-author of the very successful An Introduction to the Bootstrap. Friedman is the co-inventor of many data-mining tools including CART, MARS, projection pursuit and gradient boosting.

There are many books on data structures and algorithms, including some with useful libraries of C functions. Mastering Algorithms with C offers you a unique combination of theoretical background and working code. With robust solutions for everyday programming tasks, this book avoids the abstract style of most classic data structures and algorithms texts, but still provides all of the information you need to understand the purpose and use of common programming techniques.

Implementations, as well as interesting, real-world examples of each data structure and algorithm, are included.

Using both a programming style and a writing style that are exceptionally clean, Kyle Loudon shows you how to use such essential data structures as lists, stacks, queues, sets, trees, heaps, priority queues, and graphs. He explains how to use algorithms for sorting, searching, numerical analysis, data compression, data encryption, common graph problems, and computational geometry. And he describes the relative efficiency of all implementations. The compression and encryption chapters not only give you working code for reasonably efficient solutions, they offer explanations of concepts in an approachable manner for people who never have had the time or expertise to study them in depth.

Anyone with a basic understanding of the C language can use this book. In order to provide maintainable and extendible code, an extra level of abstraction (such as pointers to functions) is used in examples where appropriate. Understanding that these techniques may be unfamiliar to some programmers, Loudon explains them clearly in the introductory chapters.

"This library is useful for practitioners, and is an excellent tool for those entering the field: it is a set of computer vision algorithms that work as advertised."-William T. Freeman, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Learning OpenCV puts you in the middle of the rapidly expanding field of computer vision. Written by the creators of the free open source OpenCV library, this book introduces you to computer vision and demonstrates how you can quickly build applications that enable computers to "see" and make decisions based on that data.

Computer vision is everywhere-in security systems, manufacturing inspection systems, medical image analysis, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and more. It stitches Google maps and Google Earth together, checks the pixels on LCD screens, and makes sure the stitches in your shirt are sewn properly. OpenCV provides an easy-to-use computer vision framework and a comprehensive library with more than 500 functions that can run vision code in real time.

Learning OpenCV will teach any developer or hobbyist to use the framework quickly with the help of hands-on exercises in each chapter. This book includes:A thorough introduction to OpenCVGetting input from camerasTransforming imagesSegmenting images and shape matchingPattern recognition, including face detectionTracking and motion in 2 and 3 dimensions3D reconstruction from stereo visionMachine learning algorithms

Getting machines to see is a challenging but entertaining goal. Whether you want to build simple or sophisticated vision applications, Learning OpenCV is the book you need to get started.

After billions of dollars and fifty years of effort, researchers are finally cracking the code on artificial intelligence. As society stands on the cusp of unprecedented change, Jerry Kaplan unpacks the latest advances in robotics, machine learning, and perception powering systems that rival or exceed human capabilities. Driverless cars, robotic helpers, and intelligent agents that promote our interests have the potential to usher in a new age of affluence and leisure — but as Kaplan warns, the transition may be protracted and brutal unless we address the two great scourges of the modern developed world: volatile labor markets and income inequality. He proposes innovative, free-market adjustments to our economic system and social policies to avoid an extended period of social turmoil. His timely and accessible analysis of the promise and perils of artificial intelligence is a must-read for business leaders and policy makers on both sides of the aisle.

The fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Photoshop CS4

Fourteen lessons in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book cover basic and advanced techniques in Adobe Photoshop, the world’s best image-editing software. Learn how to retouch digital photos, work with layers and masks, navigate the workspace, prepare images print, and explore the latest features. Tips, extra-credit exercises, and step-by-step lessons help you become more productive using Photoshop.

Learn to correct and enhance digital photos, create image composites, transform images in perspective, and prepare images for print and the web. Combine images for extended depth of field, and try out the new 3D features in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended.

“The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students.” —Barbara Binder, Adobe Certified Instructor, Rocky Mountain Training

Classroom in a Book®, the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, helps you learn the features of Adobe software quickly and easily. Classroom in a Book offers what no other book or training program does—an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.

All of Peachpit's eBooks contain the same content as the print edition. You will find a link in the last few pages of your eBook that directs you to the media files.

Helpful tips:

If you are able to search the book, search for "Where are the lesson files?" Go to the very last page of the book and scroll backwards. You will need a web-enabled device or computer in order to access the media files that accompany this ebook. Entering the URL supplied into a computer with web access will allow you to get to the files. Depending on your device, it is possible that your display settings will cut off part of the URL. To make sure this is not the case, try reducing your font size and turning your device to a landscape view. This should cause the full URL to appear.

The idea that human history is approaching a "singularity" -- that ordinary humans will someday be overtaken by artificially intelligent machines or cognitively enhanced biological intelligence, or both -- has moved from the realm of science fiction to serious debate. Some singularity theorists predict that if the field of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to develop at its current dizzying rate, the singularity could come about in the middle of the present century. Murray Shanahan offers an introduction to the idea of the singularity and considers the ramifications of such a potentially seismic event.

Shanahan's aim is not to make predictions but rather to investigate a range of scenarios. Whether we believe that singularity is near or far, likely or impossible, apocalypse or utopia, the very idea raises crucial philosophical and pragmatic questions, forcing us to think seriously about what we want as a species.

Shanahan describes technological advances in AI, both biologically inspired and engineered from scratch. Once human-level AI -- theoretically possible, but difficult to accomplish -- has been achieved, he explains, the transition to superintelligent AI could be very rapid. Shanahan considers what the existence of superintelligent machines could mean for such matters as personhood, responsibility, rights, and identity. Some superhuman AI agents might be created to benefit humankind; some might go rogue. (Is Siri the template, or HAL?) The singularity presents both an existential threat to humanity and an existential opportunity for humanity to transcend its limitations. Shanahan makes it clear that we need to imagine both possibilities if we want to bring about the better outcome.

The fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Illustrator CC

Classroom in a Book®, the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, offers what no other book or training program does–an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the supportof Adobe product experts.

Adobe Illustrator CC Classroom in a Book contains 15 lessons that cover the basics, providing countless tips and techniques to help you become more productive with the program. You can follow the book from start to finish or choose only those lessons that interest you.

Purchasing this book gives you access to the downloadable lesson files you need to work through the projects in the book, and to electronic book updates covering new features that Adobe releases for Creative Cloud customers. For access, go to www.peachpit.com/redeem and redeem the unique code provided inside this book.

“The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-bystep instructions, and the project files for the students.”

--Hans Camenzind, inventor of the 555 timer (the world's most successful integrated circuit), and author of Much Ado About Almost Nothing: Man's Encounter with the Electron (Booklocker.com)

"A fabulous book: well written, well paced, fun, and informative. I also love the sense of humor. It's very good at disarming the fear. And it's gorgeous. I'll be recommending this book highly."

--Tom Igoe, author of Physical Computing and Making Things Talk

Want to learn the fundamentals of electronics in a fun, hands-on way? With Make: Electronics, you'll start working on real projects as soon as you crack open the book. Explore all of the key components and essential principles through a series of fascinating experiments. You'll build the circuits first, then learn the theory behind them!

Build working devices, from simple to complex You'll start with the basics and then move on to more complicated projects. Go from switching circuits to integrated circuits, and from simple alarms to programmable microcontrollers. Step-by-step instructions and more than 500 full-color photographs and illustrations will help you use -- and understand -- electronics concepts and techniques.

Discover by breaking things: experiment with components and learn from failure Set up a tricked-out project space: make a work area at home, equipped with the tools and parts you'll need Learn about key electronic components and their functions within a circuit Create an intrusion alarm, holiday lights, wearable electronic jewelry, audio processors, a reflex tester, and a combination lock Build an autonomous robot cart that can sense its environment and avoid obstacles Get clear, easy-to-understand explanations of what you're doing and why

This second edition of The Principles of Beautiful Web Design is the ideal book for people who can build websites, but are seeking the skills and knowledge to visually enhance their sites.

This book will teach you how to:

Understand the process of what makes "good design," from discovery through to implementationUse color effectively, develop color schemes, and create a paletteCreate pleasing layouts using grids, the rule of thirds, and symmetryEmploy textures: lines, points, shapes, volumes, and depthApply typography to make ordinary designs look greatChoose, edit, and position effective imagery

And lots more...

This revised, easy-to-follow guide is illustrated with beautiful, full-color examples, and leads readers through the process of creating great designs from start to finish.

It also features:

Updated information about grid-based designHow to design for mobile resolutionsInformation about the future of web fonts including @font-faceCommon user-interface patterns and resources

Smoothly Leads Users into the Subject of Computer Graphics through the Blender GUI

Blender, the free and open source 3D computer modeling and animation program, allows users to create and animate models and figures in scenes, compile feature movies, and interact with the models and create video games. Reflecting the latest version of Blender, The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics: Computer Modeling & Animation, 2nd Edition helps beginners learn the basics of computer animation using this versatile graphics program. This edition incorporates many new features of Blender, including developments to its GUI.

New to the Second Edition

Three new chapters on smoke simulation, movie making, and drivers Twelve updated chapters, including an entire chapter now devoted to add-ons installation Numerous new examples and figures

In color throughout, this manual presents clear, step-by-step instructions for new users of Blender. Many visual diagrams and images illustrate the various topics encompassed by Blender. After mastering the material in the book, users are prepared for further studies and work in computer modeling and animation.

Beginning 3D Game Development with Unity 4 is perfect for those who would like to come to grips with programming Unity. You may be an artist who has learned 3D tools such as 3ds Max, Maya, or Cinema 4D, or you may come from 2D tools such as Photoshop and Illustrator. On the other hand, you may just want to familiarize yourself with programming games and the latest ideas in game production.

This book introduces key game production concepts in an artist-friendly way, and rapidly teaches the basic scripting skills you'll need with Unity. It goes on to show how you, as an independent game artist, can create interactive games, ideal in scope for today's casual and mobile markets, while also giving you a firm foundation in game logic and design.

The first part of the book explains the logic involved in game interaction, and soon has you creating game assets through simple examples that you can build upon and gradually expand. In the second part, you'll build the foundations of a point-and-click style first-person adventure game—including reusable state management scripts, dialogue trees for character interaction, load/save functionality, a robust inventory system, and a bonus feature: a dynamically configured maze and mini-map. With the help of the provided 2D and 3D content, you'll learn to evaluate and deal with challenges in bite-sized pieces as the project progresses, gaining valuable problem-solving skills in interactive design. By the end of the book, you will be able to actively use the Unity 3D game engine, having learned the necessary workflows to utilize your own assets. You will also have an assortment of reusable scripts and art assets with which to build future games.

From first installation to advanced image manipulation techniques, Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition explains how anyone can utilize GIMP: a free, open source image manipulation program. You will learn how to install GIMP on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X platforms. Once you’ve installed the application, you’ll learn about the interface and configuration options, and then jump into a quick and simple project to familiarize yourself.

With four–color graphics and screenshots throughout, you’ll learn how to prepare camera images for display on web pages—including processes like rescaling, cropping, and balancing color. Utilizing layers, paths, and masks are also covered in extensive detail. Of course, you will also learn how to draw lines and shapes; utilize patterns and gradients; and even create your own brushes, patterns, and gradients.

GIMP expert and author Akkana Peck teaches you how to touch up digital photographs, smudging away blemishes, fixing red–eye, and stitching panoramic images. You’ll learn how to tap into the powerful filters, effects, and plug–ins that are available for GIMP and automate tasks using scripts. The entire book is approached in a project–based manner, and as you progress, numerous projects will help strengthen your newly acquired abilities.

Understanding Virtual Reality arrives at a time when the technologies behind virtual reality have advanced to the point that it is possible to develop and deploy meaningful, productive virtual reality applications. The aim of this thorough, accessible exploration is to help you take advantage of this moment, equipping you with the understanding needed to identify and prepare for ways VR can be used in your field, whatever your field may be.

By approaching VR as a communications medium, the authors have created a resource that will remain relevant even as the underlying technologies evolve. You get a history of VR, along with a good look at systems currently in use. However, the focus remains squarely on the application of VR and the many issues that arise in the application design and implementation, including hardware requirements, system integration, interaction techniques, and usability. This book also counters both exaggerated claims for VR and the view that would reduce it to entertainment, citing dozens of real-world examples from many different fields and presenting (in a series of appendices) four in-depth application case studies.

* Substantive, illuminating coverage designed for technical and business readers and well-suited to the classroom.* Examines VR's constituent technologies, drawn from visualization, representation, graphics, human-computer interaction, and other fields, and explains how they are being united in cohesive VR systems.* Via a companion Web site, provides additional case studies, tutorials, instructional materials, and a link to an open-source VR programming system.

Preface to First Edition Before writing the graphics for SYSTAT in the 1980’s, I began by teaching a seminar in statistical graphics and collecting as many different quantitative graphics as I could find. I was determined to produce a package that could draw every statistical graphic I had ever seen. The structure of the program was a collection of procedures named after the basic graph types they p- duced. The graphics code was roughly one and a half megabytes in size. In the early 1990’s, I redesigned the SYSTAT graphics package using - ject-based technology. I intended to produce a more comprehensive and - namic package. I accomplished this by embedding graphical elements in a tree structure. Rendering graphics was done by walking the tree and editing worked by adding and deleting nodes. The code size fell to under a megabyte. In the late 1990’s, I collaborated with Dan Rope at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Dan Carr at George Mason University to produce a graphics p- duction library called GPL, this time in Java. Our goal was to develop graphics components. This book was nourished by that project. So far, the GPL code size is under half a megabyte.

A photocopiable literacy activity book for Key Stage 3 students in Year 9. It seeks to cover the key objectives of the Sentence Level strand of the National Literacy Strategy framework. There are over 50 pages of photocopiable activities, and minimal teacher preparation is required. Each topic section includes a lesson starter to use with the whole class (an OHP sheet, a handout or cards), a consolidation activity to reinforce the skill, and an extension activity to challenge more able pupils. There are notes for teachers. The text is part of a series in which there is one book for each year group at Key Stage 3, from Year 7 to Year 9.